"BONA DEA "IS THE ROMAN GODDESS OF FERTILITY; SHE IS A VERY ANCIENT GODDESS, PERHAPS EVEN PREDATING VENUS AND APHRODITE. HER NAME MEANS "GOOD GODDESS". THE ROMANS ALSO CONSIDERED HER THE GODDESS OF CHASTITY. SHE IS OFTEN LINKED TO FAUNUS, THE FERTILITY GOD OF THE FIELDS, AND SHE HERSELF IS OFTEN CALLED FAUNA. WHEN SHE APPEARS TO HUMANS, IT IS SOMETIMES IN THE FORM OF A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN, AND OTHER TIMES, SHE MAY APPEAR IN THE FORM OF AN OLD WOMAN WITH POINTY EARS. THE SNAKE IS HER ATTRIBUTE.

SHE IS AN EARTH GODDESS WHO PROTECTS WOMEN AS THEY GO THROUGH THEIR CHANGES AND IS ALSO BELIEVED TO WATCH OVER THE VIRGINS. SHE IS ALSO A HEALING GODDESS AND THE SICK (WOMEN) WERE TENDED TO IN HER TEMPLE GARDEN; MEN WERE NOT ALLOWED. SHE IS SKILLED IN HERB LORE AND BLESSED WOMEN AND THE EARTH WITH FERTILITY.

HER TEMPLE IN ROME WAS SITUATED SLIGHTLY TO THE NORTH OF THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ST. CECILIA IN TRASTEVERA. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NOW REMAINS LEFT, IT IS SAID THAT THE TEMPLE WAS DECORATED IN VINE BRANCHES AND OTHER PLANTS AND FLOWERS. A SACRED SERPENT SAT BESIDE THE GODDESS ON HER THRONE.

THE WORSHIP OF BONA DEA WAS PART OF A MYSTERY RELIGION WHICH IS RESTRICTED TO WOMEN. EVEN KNOWLEDGE OF HER NAMES IS WITHHELD FROM MEN. EVEN REPRESENTATIONS OF MEN AND BEASTS WERE REMOVED, AND AT THESE SECRET MEETINGS, IT WAS FORBIDDEN TO SPEAK THE WORDS "WINE" AND MYRTLE...BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO LEGEND, FAUNUS HAD ARRIVED HOME ONE DAY TO FIND THAT SHE HAD DRUNK AN ENTIRE JAR OF WINE. SO, FOR BEING DRUNK, HE BEAT HER WITH A MYRTLE BRANCH AND KILLED HER. WOMEN DID, HOWEVER, CONSUME WINE AT THE FESTIVAL, BUT SINCE THE WORD WAS OFFICIALLY TABOO FOR WOMEN, IT WAS CALLED 'MILK'.

HER FESTIVAL OCCURS ON MAY 1ST; IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT A CEREMONY OPEN TO ALL THE WOMEN OF ROME WAS HELD IN HER TEMPLE ON THE AVENTINE. A SOW WAS SACRIFICED IN HER HONOR AT THIS TIME. THE CEREMONY WAS HELD AT NIGHT, AND THE RITUALS WERE CONDUCTED BY THE VESTALS.

"TODAY, MAY DAY, IS A DAY OF JOY AND CELEBRATION. DON A SPRING DRESS AND PUT FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR. "